


The Future

by seltzerboy



Category: IT - Stephen King
Genre: 1960s, Aged-Up Character(s), Fluff, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Road Trips, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-08
Updated: 2018-08-08
Packaged: 2019-06-23 16:46:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,344
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15610614
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seltzerboy/pseuds/seltzerboy
Summary: Richie and Eddie take a road trip in the year 1964.  They set out with California in their minds and love in their hearts. Lots of laughing, crying, and everything in between.  Enjoy :)





	The Future

**Author's Note:**

> Updates will come, not sure when but soon.

“Let’s go on a road trip, Eds, just the two of us?” 

That’s what had started it all. The two boys had just finished playing with Eddies Atari, and Richie had needed a smoke break. They were sitting on the railing of Eddies back porch when The Question had been dropped. Well, the sort-of-question, because it was never really a question at all if Eddie would agree or not. This was his best friend, asking him to drive across America, just the two of them. With only a bit of reluctance, because this was Eddie, he had agreed. 

They had started planning immediately, even though Richie insisted it was all about the open road, and the freedom to do whatever they wanted whenever they wanted. But again, this was Eddie, so he got out all of his roadmaps, and they made a tentative route. Head down through New Hampshire and Mass, then start going west. They’d hit Indiana, Colorado, Idaho, and all the states in between. Their end goal was California. Well, San Francisco, to be more accurate. Both boys had agreed the golden coast was the best idea, and it was plenty far. Far away from Derry, from this town that seemed almost haunted. They weren’t concerned about time, they had all summer for all they cared. In the fall they would start their senior years of high school, then after that it was college. The thought of college was both terrifying and exhilarating to Eddie, the prospect of getting to live anywhere but Derry outweighing the looming fear that he’d be incapable of taking care of himself. Richie wasn’t as concerned, he knew he’d fit himself in where-ever he ended up. It was the thought of leaving his best friend behind that really frightened him the most. His best friend, the person he cared about more than anyone else. Probably too much, sometimes. Eddie was sunny days and starry nights, cherry cola and driving with all the windows down on the highway. Eddie was that feeling of laughter in his stomach, the feeling that the world wasn’t so fucked up after all, because if God could create someone as sweet and gentle and good as Eddie, he was doing something right. Eddie was a feeling that Richie knew he shouldn’t have. Not for his best friend, whom he’d known since the second grade. But it’s not like he was going to tell Eddie any of that any time soon. It was his secret, his bottom-of-the-heart secret that he was planning on taking to his grave. If he could have Eddie, even just Best Friend Eddie, he wasn’t going to ruin it. 

And so they would take a road trip. And if Richie told Eddie it was “just for fun,” well that wasn’t a total lie after all. It would be a lot of fun for him to look over and see Eddie by his side, to have his Eddie with him and relish in that feeling. While he still could. It’s not like Eddie would be complaining at all. To him, Richie was safe, Richie was home. His best friend in the entire world, the boy who would always know what to do when he was scared, or when he was just tired of life. Richie was there for him all the time, and Eddie loved him for it. He’d never met anyone else quite like his best friend, and he knew he never would. He also knew he wasn’t supposed to have dreams about doing things with his best friend, things that never crossed normal boys minds. He wasn’t supposed to wake up with his boxers wet, the feeling of dream-Richie still on his mind. And so he tried his best to not think of dream-Richie when he was with real-Richie, because it wasn’t fair to his best friend. He would never tell him anyways, it would destroy Eddie to lose Richie, and he knew that’s what would happen if he let his feelings loose. So he was looking forward to this road trip, to getting to spend so many weeks with his best friend, enjoying the feeling of Richie. He wasn’t going to ruin it. 

They set off from Derry at 7:34 in the morning, the sun reflecting off the hood of Richies ‘61 Beetle, both of their hearts full of feelings, both of them excited to spend time with their best friend, to not think of senior year or college or leaving. Richies car was filled with their stuff, and their hearts were full of each other, whether the other knew or not. They set off with the West Coast in mind, a hot July day leaving Derry Maine. Neither one looked back as they drove down 95. They knew where ever this trip took them, they’d enjoy it a hell of a lot more than Derry, as long as they were together. 

2

Maine to Pennsylvania:

Richie is whistling a toon, something off the the radio that Eddie can’t remember the name of. He knows it’s by The Diamonds. _Baby Darlin’. . . _or something like that. It doesn’t really matter. All that matters is Richie, and the open road. The windows are down as the little Beetle speeds along the highway, wind rushing in. Eddie smiles.__

____

__

“How far to New Hampshire?” Richie asks over the sound of the wind. Eddie flattens the map out on his knees, holding it tight so it won’t fly out the window. 

“Well, let’s see,” Eddie says, regarding the map with an intense look. “We just passed Portland, so I’d say we have about another hour to Portsmouth.” He nods, affirming his calculations to himself. “Yeah, another hour.” 

Richie nods as well, his eyes watching the road. He turns the radio up. 

_Why does the rain fall from above?  
Why do fools fall in love?_

This one Eddie knows. 

They drive for quite a while, the New Hampshire landscape flying past their windows. Mostly fields and trees, with the occasional lake or pond going by. They get onto 495 near Amesbury, Massachusetts, then hook up with 91. 

By now it’s nearing lunchtime, and both boys stomachs rumble loudly. Eddie sees a sign up ahead on the road. “Look, Rich,” he points out the window to their right. **Welcome To The City Of Northampton!** it reads. “Let’s stop here for a bite to eat.” Richie agrees and they pulled up to a burger joint. 

They order their food, sitting in a booth near the back. Richie pays, but only because he promises Eddie he can next time. He dives into his hamburger, while Eddie eats his slowly. He takes the map out from his back pocket and flattens it out on the table. 

“So I figure if we keep up our pace, we’ll make it to Scranton by five or six o’clock.” He traces their path with his index finger, following the road. Richie looks at Eddie with a smile full of food, and he has to resist the urge to pinch his cheek. 

“What would I do without you, Eds? I’d be a dead man, that’s what I’d be.” He keeps eating his hamburger, and Eddie looks down sheepishly, glad to receive a compliment from Richie. 

“Why, I don’t know, I think you don’t give yourself enough credit,” Eddie looks back up at Richie, who’s staring at him with such a strange look on his face. But then it’s gone, replaced with Richies classic smile. He punches Eddies arm good-naturedly. 

They eat in silence for a bit, before Richie speaks up. He’s finished with his hamburger, and now he’s sipping on a chocolate milkshake. Eddie got vanilla. 

“So why are you so good with maps and stuff?” He asks. Eddie doesn’t respond at first, finishing his bite of food. 

“Well I don’t know, it’s just sort of there. Let’s say it’s sort of a sixth sense, or something like that.” He thinks that makes sense, at least he hopes it does. He just really doesn’t know why he’s always been able to find his way around so well. Ever since they were little kids, Eddie was the one who could lead them out of trouble, if trouble was afoot. 

Richie nods, accepting Eddies answer. He looks at the clock on the wall. 

“By Golly, Miss Molly, it’s already one o’clock,” he says, “we’d better get moving.” They clear off their table, and climb back into Richie’s Beetle. They set off for Scranton, Pennsylvania, their belly’s full and the radio blaring. Both boys are smiling wide against the wind. 

They pass through New York, and Richie is surprised to not see the Statue Of Liberty, or any tall buildings for that matter. 

“New York Citie’s just a part of it, Rich, the whole state of New York is huge.” Richie says they should tell more people about the false advertising. Eddie just rolls his eyes. They drive on, the sun in their eyes. 

By the time they make it to Scranton they’re both tired from their first long day of driving. Eddies got bags under his eyes, Richie calls them “Baggies.” 

“You’ve got Baggies, Eds,” and he ruffles Eddies hair. They find a motel along the road, someplace that’s cheap and smells like someone’s smoked a whole pack of cigarettes while laying on the mattress. Yes, singular mattress, because that’s all that’s left. But neither one of them mind. Eddie says he’s going to take a shower, after putting his suitcase full of clothes on the bed. Richie puts his on the floor. 

Showers are had and teeth are brushed, and now it’s just RichieAndEddie. One word. Well, two words that like to stick together. They’re sitting up on the bed, cross-legged. Eddies got his map, and Richies got a book. Eddie looks up from his map, seeing the cover of the novel: 1984. 

“What’s that, Rich?” Eddie asks, scooting over to take a closer look. Richie doesn’t respond at first, seemingly lost in the pages. He looks up finally, giving a sheepish smile. 

“Oh, it’s nothing, just a book.” He holds it up, as if to show Eddie that it is indeed a book. 

“I know that, genius, but what’s it about?” Eddie’s genuinely curious now. “Is it about the future?” He has a hopeful look in his eyes. Richie smiles, nodding his head. 

“Yeah, it’s uh, it’s about the future, and this guy named Winston.” Richie can tell Eddie’s excited now. He’s always been fascinated about anything to do with the future. Anything to do with a life outside of Derry. But they’re not in Derry right now. 

“What’s he do? Does he travel through time? Does he save the universe? Come on, Rich, tell me!” He’s moved closer to Richie, now, his knees touching the other boys’. Richie sees the hopeful and happy expression on Eddies face, and he sighs, looking down at their knees. He looks back up at Eddie, smiling. 

“Yeah, Eds, he’s this Space Cop, you see? In the future, there’s gonna be highways in space, folks are gonna have rockets and stuff, just like we have cars. And this guys job is to give speeding tickets in space.” He just couldn’t bring himself to tell Eddie what the book was really about. Eddie didn’t need to hear about some horrible future filled with terror and control and fear. He deserves a good future. 

“A highway cop, in space?” Eddie laughs, falling onto his back, his head resting on one of the pillows at the top of the bed. He sighs, closing his eyes. “Tell me more about this Space Cop, Rich.” 

Richie lays back too, closing the book and putting it on top of Eddies map. His arms go under his head, and he stares up at the ceiling. 

“Well, the thing about Winston is, he’s got a secret,” he begins, happy to make up a story for his best friend. Eddie laughs, opening his eyes and looking over at Richie. 

“Oh yeah, what’s his secret then?” 

“That’s the kicker Eds, if I told you, it wouldn’t be a secret any more, now would it?” This makes Eddie laugh loudly, letting out a deep breath. Richie takes one hand tentatively and lets it rest on Eddies hair, not really stroking it, just resting there. Eddie doesn’t mind, he closes his eyes again. Outside the motel, it’s started to rain, the sound of the water hitting Richies car mixing with the buzzing of bugs. Their room is dark, save for the lamp on the nightstand illuminating both boys as they lay together on one bed, happy to be away together. 

“What can you tell me, then?” Eddie asks, letting one of his hands fall against Richies leg.

Richie smiles and starts a whole story about Winstons ex-wife Karen, who filed for a divorce after she found his shrine to Little Richard. Apparently Winston was into the past—and men. This makes Eddie giggle, and Richies heart swells. 

They stay up for hours, the sound of the rain acting as background noise for Richies stories, stories about the future. 

Eddie finally drifts off to sleep, his hand still resting on the other boys’ thigh. Richie shuts off the light, tired from a long day of driving and laughing. He’s really glad he was able to convince Eddie to take this trip, especially now as he lays next to him on one bed, listening to his quiet breathing, feeling the heat from his hand radiating against his thigh. He places his hand on top of Eddies, so thankful for his best friend. The boy who makes his stomach sway and his head spin. He doesn’t care if he’ll never even get to kiss him. Okay, maybe he does care a little bit. But all that really matters is this, right here. His best friend laying next to him, far away from Derry, and closer to the future than ever before. 

He drifts off to sleep, dreaming of a space cop and a road trip on the highway of the future.


End file.
